Southern Illinois solidarity

BY SHEA LAZANSKY

Thursday

Jan 19, 2017 at 5:30 PM

Women's march in Carbondale Saturday one of thousands nationwide

CARBONDALE - One day after Donald Trump is sworn in as the nation’s 45th president, women from across Southern Illinois will march in downtown Carbondale to celebrate democracy, diversity, equality, women’s rights and human rights.
Marsha Forrest of Cobden, who will be marching on Saturday, said, “This is really a time for people to come together and find out that they have more similarities than differences.”
The march is held in solidarity with the Women’s March on Washington D.C., which is also scheduled for Saturday, as well as more than 200 marches across the United States and around the world.
“We want the march to celebrate our region’s diversity and support equal rights for women and all people," said Carbondale organizer Kathy Neely.
The march and rally will run from 9 a.m. at the Carbondale Civic Center until 5:30 p.m. The march itself will begin at 1 p.m., heading south from the civic center to Mill Street, then turning north onto University Avenue and proceeding to Illinois 13, where it will then return to Illinois Avenue and back to the civic center.
During the rally, the public will have opportunities to create signs, meet other marchers, and to submit letters to Congressman Mike Bost (R-Murphysboro) regarding the dissolution of the Affordable Care Act.
The rally has set a fundraising goal of $3,500 to cover the costs of the rally. As of Wednesday, the group's GoFundMe page had raised $2,410. If the funds raised exceed that goal, the leftover sum will be divided in half and donated to the Women’s Center and to the Boys and Girls' Club in Carbondale.
“This was a tough election cycle with lots of division,” Forrest said. “It’s good for people to come together and show how strong we are…because it’s more than just women’s rights. It’s (the march) focusing on equality for all people.”
“The march is growing organically and has room for anyone who wants to be involved,” Neely said.
Those interested in finding out more about the march can visit the group’s Facebook event page: Southern Illinois Women’s March. Those who are supportive of the march and rally, but who are unable to attend or physically incapable of marching, can visit the website of the Disability March, www.disabilitymarch.com, an online event associated with the Women’s March on Washington.

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